Pipphalivana was the capital of the Moriya republic, a gana- sangha of the
Mahajanapadas period.
The 7th century CE Chinese pilgrim
Xuanzang later referred to it by the name of Nyagrodhavana.
Buddhist texts like the Dīgha Nikāya and Buddhavaṃsa suggest that Pipphalivana was the chief town and capital of the Moriyas.
Location
Some say that Pipphalivana probably lay between Rummindei (
Lumbini) in the
Terai of
Nepal and Kasia in the modern-day Gorakhpur district.
The town is identified with Nyagrodhavana (banyan grove), a village in Gorakhpur district which contained the famous Embers'
stupa and was mentioned by
Xuanzang.
tells us that the stupa lay four
to the east of the
Anoma River and twelve
to the west of
Kushinagar.
Etymology
A tradition explains that the Moriyas took refuge in a
pipphalivana (grove of pepper trees) and founded the city
Moriyanagara there. The queen of
Moriyanagara gave birth to Chandragupta, who was then raised by a herdsman and a hunter.
Bibliography
